WGN-TV adding 5 p.m. weekend newscast

CaptionVintage WGN

Chicago Tribune historical photo

WGN-TV newsreel photographers Fred Giese, on the curb, and Leonard Bartholomew, positioned on the car, shoot pictures in the Loop on March 22, 1948. This photo ran on April 4, 1948 with the announcement in the Tribune that WGN-TV would started its transmission the next day. Both Giese and Bartholomew were the first cameramen appointed to the eight man WGN-TV Newsreel staff. Bartholomew had been a veteran still photographer for the Tribune who earned the nickname "the man who's late for dinner."

WGN-TV newsreel photographers Fred Giese, on the curb, and Leonard Bartholomew, positioned on the car, shoot pictures in the Loop on March 22, 1948. This photo ran on April 4, 1948 with the announcement in the Tribune that WGN-TV would started its transmission the next day. Both Giese and Bartholomew were the first cameramen appointed to the eight man WGN-TV Newsreel staff. Bartholomew had been a veteran still photographer for the Tribune who earned the nickname "the man who's late for dinner." (Chicago Tribune historical photo)

The expansion of the station’s news programming was announced in a memo to staffers Monday from assistant news director Jennifer Lyons.

"Over the past year we’ve seen more and more major newsworthy events happening on weekends from serious weather to major construction projects," Lyons said in the memo. "It will be a good thing to be in the Saturday and Sunday afternoon time slot."

Weekend 9 p.m. anchors Jackie Bange, Robert Jordan, Jim Ramsey on weather and Rich King on sports, will also anchor the new 5 to 6 p.m. newscast.

In May, WGN announced plans to add an hour of local news on weekdays from 4 to 5 p.m., beginning in September. The Tribune Co. station leads the market with 54 hours of local news programming per week, an expansion that took place under Greg Caputo, who is stepping down as news director this month after 12 years at the helm.

No successor to Caputo has been named, according to executives.

Tribune Co. owns the Chicago Tribune and other media properties, and is planning to spin off its publishing business during the 3rd quarter.

This year, WGN Radio celebrates 90 years in Chicago. In 1924, the Chicago Tribune converted the operations that had formerly been WDAP to WGN, with the new call letters paying homage to the "World's Greatest Newspaper." Throughout June 2014, the station will honor its history with several commemorative...

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